Cheryll Jones was escorted from the Wichita County Auditor’s Office on Friday, her last day as county auditor. This happened hours before her term ended and after county officials were locked out of or deleted from the county’s financial software. The Wichita County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the software issue to see if any crimes were committed.
Chief Deputy Will Rutledge said, “It’s going to take a little while to investigate this.”
Jones later responded on TRN’s Facebook page. On Monday morning, Tax Assessor-Collector Tommy Smyth said his office could not access the software, and others also said they were locked out.
In Texas, district judges hire county auditors to keep them independent from the commissioners’ court, which governs the county. Jones applied for a third term, but three district judges in Wichita County chose Matt Davis, a former deputy auditor, to replace her.
Jones’ term ends amid controversy
Davis was sworn in early Monday. Jones was appointed in 2020 and had several conflicts with commissioners. Seventy-eighth District Court Judge Meredith Kennedy said the judges considered reports from some county officials unhappy with Jones’ performance.
“There had been claims of instances of unprofessional conduct,” Kennedy said. In March, some poll workers were not paid on time, which Jones blamed on incomplete paperwork. In April, payments owed by the county were 253 days late despite tax collection since December.
Smyth said the money was supposed to go through the Auditor’s Office to be processed by the Treasurer’s Office. The controversy reached a high point in July 2023 when commissioners found out the county had not paid federal taxes on its employees and had to pay penalties.
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